Positive
Nation asked our nutrition adviser Michelle Phillpot to review ‘Boost
Your Child’s Immune System’:
"Healthy children have strong immune systems. Strong immune systems are formed by the foods they eat. That is the premise behind Boost your Child’s Immune System, Lucy Burney’s recently-published book which is designed for parents with children of all ages, from birth to eighteen.
The book is in three parts. First, it discusses how children’s immune systems work, gives guidance on food preparation, food safety and healthy eating and then goes on to give advice on preventing and coping with food allergy.
While the prevention information is spot on, I would recommend seeking professional help if you think your child has a food allergy before commencing an exclusion diet.
The second part of the book contains immune-boosting recipes specific for each age group. The recipes, although excellent for the adventurous cook, have one thing in common; they tend to lack wheat, gluten and dairy. This opposes traditional approaches as babies are weaned onto these food groups from six months. I would advise discussing any weaning issues with a health visitor or dietician if you wish to exclude these foods from your child’s diet.
The last part of the book covers ‘fighting diseases naturally’ and includes home-made tonics and smoothie recipes. These are on the whole interesting combinations - my six-month-old baby boy has been busy trying out purées of banana and nectarine, and chicken with apricots. But some of the recipes may be low in total calories and too high in fibre. Use this book as inspiration rather than following it as a menu planning bible.
Boost your Child’s Immune System by Lucy Burney. Piatkus Ltd, £6.99 ppbk.
Your bra could save your life
‘To sleep, perchance to dream...’
Alcohol ‘is more dangerous to the brain in hangover phase’
For healthy sperm - coffee is good, tobacco and marijuana are badResearch from Brazil has found that drinking coffee makes sperm swim faster and could improve male fertility. The research team, from Sao Paulo University, found that coffee not only wakes you up but can also give sperm a kick-start. The study also found that smoking tobacco can lead to erectile dysfunction and consuming marijuana lowers sperm count and causes them to swim too fast too early, leading to burnout before they reach the egg. |
India’s traditional ayurvedic medicine has lots to offer in the treatment of today’s modern ailments explains holistic GP and expert, Dr Milind Jani
The word ‘ayurveda’ means ‘the science of life’. It
is the traditional medical system of India, evolved over 5,000 years. Today
it forms an integral part of every Hindu family in India and abroad. It is
an essential component of the National Health Service in India. Ayurvedic herbal
remedies are available freely in pharmaceutical stores and markets in India
and there are over 14,000 ayurvedic dispensaries and 2,258 ayurvedic hospitals
treating patients. It is becoming increasingly fashionable in the west.
There are about 8,000 ayurvedic herbal medicines that provide relief from most diseases.
Ayurvedic therapy is aimed at maintaining the equilibrium of the three ‘doshas’ and enhancing immunity against disease in the body. The three doshas are the fundamental physiological energies that control the body’s functions and body types. They are: Vata, the air element - control nervous system, emotion and movement; Pitta, the fire of metabolism - controls heat, intellect, focus, hormones and digestion; and Kapha, the water and earth element - controls water, body weight, muscle and fat balance.
First of all the patient’s history is checked and there’s a physical
examination that includes the tongue, eyes, abdomen and pulse. The body type
and toxic state of the person is assessed.
Then the practitioner works out a programme of treatment. This includes advice on diet and a combination of the following: a course of herbal remedies or suitable extracts depending on the diagnosis (like curcumin extract which is a great anti-viral agent), internal cleansing with steam and herbs, massage with oils, yoga and stress-free exercises.
Ayurvedic medicine is prescribed in the form of tablets, capsules, powders and extracts, liquids, and herbal oils.
Ayurvedic therapy works particularly well for chronic conditions like stress-related disorders and chronic fatigue syndromes, arthritis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, and diseases relating to low energy and immunity, like HIV. An individually-tailored holistic programme of treatment combines physical and herbal therapies.
The more physically therapeutic side of ayurveda is called Panchakarma. One treatment called Shirodhara involves ‘drizzling’ oil on the forehead during massage with several other cleansing and detoxing steps; it has become popular with celebrities.
In India, a course of Panchakarma ayurvedic therapy usually spans three weeks
with two or three sessions a week, some of which are done at home with diet,
relaxation and detox follow-up. It’s not simply about visiting a practitioner
and getting a bottle of capsules to take away or having a massage with oils.
It requires following a short properly-structured programme followed by a lifelong
change to healthy lifestyle in body, mind and spirit.
Over the last 10 years, I have been helping patients with HIV and Aids at my surgery. Ayurvedic herbs have helped several clients with HIV and on antiviral treatments to restore physical strength and immunity. I recently helped someone who was feeling very over-tired and losing pounds, to maintain his weight, prevent chest infections and help with his mental stress and anxiety. Yogic breathing and spiritual counselling with meditation also calmed him and restored his confidence and equanimity, with a positive view of life.
My treatment of HIV includes Chyavanprash (called Energy Plus) which is an all-round restorative formula made form Indian gooseberry pulp and 50 other herbs mixed in honey, ghee (clarified butter) and raw sugar. This formula has been shown to boost immunity by enhancing the function of the T-lymphocyte cells in studies carried out under good control in India. It helps restore energy, gain weight and prevent chest infections.
Curcumin extract has been shown to have antiviral properties; to protect the liver and as an anti-inflammatory. Another herb, phyllanthus niruri, has been shown to be helpful in HIV- and Aids-related conditions. Diarrhoea can also be controlled with bilwa and the herb, curcumin.
As far as I know there have been no interactions between ayurvedic remedies and antirviral drugs, although there have been no real scientific studies done on this yet. Some of the ayurvedic medicines should not be taken at the same time as traditional medicines like ARVs because they reduce absorption. To be safe leave a couple of hours at least between taking them. I have never had any problems with patients taking curcumin.
 £15 for 500gm |
Ayurvedic treatment should be administered by qualified ayurvedic practitioners
like Dr Asmita Jani and myself to prevent complications arising from poor
assessment and preparation of the patient by unqualified practitioners. There
are some improperly qualified practitioners out there.
If you are concerned about side effects when already on HIV drugs, please consult your doctor first. Ayurvedic therapies are available at my Ayurvedic Health Clinic, tel 01273 563340.
For online details, visit: www.pavilionhealth.co.uk Email: milind.jani@ntlworld.com
Info about practitioners: The British Association of Accredited Ayurvedic
Practitioners (tel 020 7224 6070).
The electronics company Philips has produced ‘biomedical underwear’ which
can monitor the heartbeat of the wearer. The invention comes at a time when
statistics show that women in Britain are now at more danger from heart disease
than from breast cancer. If the device spots signs of heart trouble it can
use radio signals to dial 999 to summon the emergency services. The bra, belt
or briefs each have electrodes built into their fabric. The UK company Triumph
has already produced a sports bra incorporating the heart monitor, called the
Polar Triumph Heart Bra, which is available through the high street chain Argos
for £23.95. For details, visit: 
A good night’s sleep can protect people from developing cancer, American
scientists have discovered. Researchers from Stanford University in California
say sleep alters the balance of hormones in the body. Professor David Spiegel
explained that women with a high risk of breast cancer have had high levels
of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, peaking in the afternoon rather
than as usual at dawn. Another hormone, melatonin, not only regulates the body’s
natural sleep pattern, but also acts as an antioxidant, preventing DNA damage
that can lead to cancer. It also slows production of oestrogen, too much of
which increases the risk of breast and ovarian tumours. Meanwhile, research
from the UK Sleep Assessment Advisory Service, has made a link between sleep
position and personality. Those who curl up in the most common sleeping position,
known as the foetus, are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at
heart. Those who sleep on their backs are described as quiet and reserved and
those who sleep on their tummies are said to be brash and gregarious but also
thin-skinned and nervy!
A sobering Canadian study led by Professor Robert Pihl, from McGill University
in Montreal, found that alcohol continues to impair complex brain functions
such as abstract reasoning even after blood concentration has dipped back to
normal. So the ‘hangover phase’ of alcohol consumption can be even
more dangerous to the brain than short-term physical, balance and motor problems. “People
who think they’ve waited their two hours before driving home may need
to actually wait six hours.” Professor Pihl said: “The drinker
in the process of re-attaining sobriety is likely to be more dangerous than
the drinker who is still imbibing.”